Super Bowl by the Numbers: Tallying Up the Big Game, From Ads to Beyoncé's Price Tag

Crunching the digits for this year's game day, which is expected to drump up major business for a bevy of hopefuls looking to cash in

By Alexis L. Loinaz Jan 31, 2013 9:40 PMTags
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Sure, this year's Super Bowl represents a bid for sports immortality as the San Francisco 49ers go head-to-head with the Baltimore Ravens.

But off the field, the telecast comes down to a lucrative, competitive and—as was the case last year—frankly astonishing game of numbers, as advertisers, fans and vendors attempt to both cash in on, and lap up, the Big Game.

Here's a quick rundown of this year's Super Bowl by the numbers:

$3.8 million: The going rate for a 30-second ad on the telecast. According to CBS' top brass, the network has sold out all its spots, with ad rates noticeably jacked up from last year's $3.5 million-a-pop price tag. Final numbers have yet to be disclosed, but for last year's game, the telecast reportedly drummed up a staggering $245 million in ad sales.

111.3 million: The number of TV viewers who watched last year's game—a staggering turnout that made it the most-watched TV broadcast in U.S. history.

$137,500.00: The top price for premium tickets still available for the game. Too pricey for ya? Not to worry: You can still get "bargain basement" tickets for $1,300.

73,000: The reported seating capacity of the Superdome.

6,700: Number of available parking spaces in the area's various garages.

150,000: Number of people who are expected to descend on New Orleans on Game Day.

$432 million: Revenue that New Orleans expects to rake in for hosting the game.

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12,233: Number of tweets per second at last year's game, a new record.

12.2 million: Number of social media comments reportedly posted during the duration of last year's game.

$0: That's how much Beyoncé will supposedly earn for her highly touted half-time show (she will, however, be reimbursed an estimated $600,000 in production costs). Shocked? Purportedly, the NFL has never paid performers dating back to the very first halftime show. The payback, however, comes in the form of unquantifiable exposure. After all, with 111 million sets of eyeballs on you—and that's just from viewers watching on TV—can musicians even hope for a better gig?